Surprises
by SerenBex
Summary: Fifth in a series. Jo and Hannah can't even take a family holiday without trouble finding them. M for language.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: So, this is the fifth in the Jo/Hannah (Jonah) series. I'm not sure when the next chapter would be up, but I've kept you waiting so long for this that I felt bad and decided to upload this one anyway!**_

_**This is gonna be slightly different to the others, because it's not set in Sun Hill.**_

_**Hope you enjoy it anyway!**_

_**Special thanks to Leah for reminding me every now and then that I promised her I'd write this ;)**_

_**x**_

* * *

"I can't believe Freya's doing this to me." Hannah scowled at the open suitcase on the bed and threw two pairs of jeans into it with a loud huff.

On the other side of the bed, Jo chuckled, tucking a pair of boots into her own suitcase and attempting to close it. "She's getting married, Han, it's not as though she's come up with a plan about how she can annoy you most. I doubt Freya's first though when she accepted Alex's proposal was how you'd feel about it."

"You know that's not what I meant." The red-head replied, pouting petulantly. "Why does she have to drag us to the middle of nowhere for two weeks? Couldn't she just get married in London?"

"It's Wales, not the middle of a desert. She and Alex want to get married at the Church where his parents and grandparents got married." Jo reminded her gently. "Considering _her_ parents never got married it's fair enough they're using Alex's parents as their role models."

The younger woman sniffed, still unwilling to back down and admit that her annoyance wasn't justified. "Couldn't they use us as their role models?"

"We're not married, babe, remember?"

"Yeah, well… whatever. I'm not happy."

Jo arched an eyebrow at her and moved around the room. Hannah refused to turn around and face her, prompting the brunette to put her hands on her girlfriend's hips and give them a light squeeze. "You're just pissed off because your family will be there."

"Why did she have to invite them? She doesn't even know them and yet she's invited the whole sodding lot! Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins… she's even invited our step-brother and sister. Your family are more important than them. What have our family ever done for her? What have they ever done for any of us?"

"Maybe… but Freya's invited them too." Jo reminded her as gently as she could. "No one's expecting you to suddenly play happy families, Han. Just try not to kick off for a couple of days. This is Freya and Alex's wedding… your sister needs you to be there for her."

"Fine." Hannah huffed, slamming the lid of her case down. "Fine."

Jo chuckled again and moved her suitcase to sit beside the door as Hannah struggled to close hers. She could hear Theo and Max arguing along the corridor and sighed as Molly and Caitlin's voices joined in, all four of them bickering over something or other. Watching her girlfriend punching her suitcase irritably, the older woman smiled and went to investigate.

Max, back for the summer between his second and third years at university, was rolling his eyes at whatever his fourteen-year-old nephew was accusing him of. The girls were watching them carefully, apparently happy to watch the argument without taking part. When Jo approached, Caitlin automatically reached for her hand, shoving her other thumb in her mouth. The woman smiled and swung the six-year-old onto her hip, fixing the boys with a stern frown.

"Guys, come on. Hannah's stressed enough about this without you lot arguing and making it worse." She told them with a sigh. "Are you all packed? We've got to pick up Jen in half an hour and I don't think your Mum can cope with changes to her carefully planned schedule at the moment."

"Why is she stressing so much?" Max asked with a lazy shrug, leaning in the doorway of his bedroom. "We're going on holiday."

"Because your side of our family hates Mum, duh." Theo told him as though it was a stupid question.

"They don't hate me." Jo said, rolling her eyes. "They just… don't approve of our relationship."

"Why?"

The woman looked thoughtfully at the girl in her arms who was staring at her in confusion. "Some people, especially older people, don't like things they don't understand. Things that are different from what they're used to can be scary for them."

"But Grandma and Granddad are old and they aren't scared." Cait pointed out with a confused pout, referring to Jo's parents. "And Nana Sharon isn't either."

"Grandma and Granddad have had a long time to get used to things." Jo told her carefully. She and Hannah had always been open with the children about the fact that not everyone would be complimentary about their relationship. "And Nana Sharon understands that your Mummy is happy." A scream of frustration from their bedroom made Jo wince. "Well, most of the time."

Max glanced at his watch and shrugged. "I'm gonna go and pick Rach up." He said, reaching into the pocket of his jeans for his car keys.

"You might as well come back via Ellie and Jen's and see if they're ready." Jo suggested, setting Caitlin down gently and calling after the young man as he headed down the stairs.

"I'll have to come back here anyway." He replied. "I don't know the way, so I'll have to follow you or Han."

Jo nodded quickly. "I know, but at least you can make sure they're ready to leave so Hannah doesn't have a coronary or something."

He laughed and nodded, grabbing his jacket and leaving the house to pick up his girlfriend from her parents'. Jo quickly dispatched the three remaining children to collect their things and take them downstairs so that she could load up the cars with the luggage. Going on holiday was almost like a military operation with so many people involved. For Jo, Hannah, Ellie, Max and Jen to all get the same two weeks off work had been touch and go for a while as Neil had insisted that Hannah couldn't take the whole two weeks. Finally, though, she had persuaded him to let her have it in return for taking two weeks night shift when she came back.

It was even worse when Callum had asked for time off as well to attend the wedding with Ellie. Jo and Hannah had both been wary when Ellie had told them that she was seeing the Uniform Sergeant, but they realised there was no point arguing against it; the young woman was just as stubborn as her mother and it would have done no good. So far, though, things seemed to be going well.

"Babe, did you remember–?" Hannah called, emerging from their bedroom with Fin balanced on her hip and the handle of her suitcase in her hand as she dragged it along behind her.

"To check my parents know the address of their cottage and how to get there?" Jo asked with a grin. "Course, I did."

"And did you–?"

"Check Theo packed his tie for the wedding. Yes."

Hannah smiled and leant forward to press a kiss to her lips. "Thank you, baby."

"Max has gone to pick Rach up and then he's going to get the girls and Dylan." The older woman informed her partner quickly, taking their son from her so that Hannah could concentrate on heaving her suitcase down the stairs.

Finally everyone was ready and loaded into the cars. Both Jo and Max were driving, but even fitting everyone and everything into _two_ cars was a challenge. They had considered taking three cars, but decided against it, hoping that they would be able to manage. With Jo, Hannah, Theo, Molly, Caitlin, Dylan and Fin loaded into the seven-seater and Max, Rach, Ellie and Jen in Max's car they were finally ready to leave.

It took nearly five hours to reach their destination and, to Hannah and Jo's immense relief, the younger children had all fallen asleep not long into the journey. Theo and Molly, sitting at the back of the car, were wide awake, however and their constant bickering was driving their mothers mad.

"If you two don't stop it right now then there will be no TV for the entire two weeks we're away." Jo threatened, sensing Hannah's irritating coming off her in waves. She needed to keep her girlfriend calm if they were going to survive this holiday.

The children gasped. "But… what will we do?" Theo demanded.

Jo couldn't help a snort of amusement escaping at the genuine confusion in his tone. "Spend time with your family?"

"Why?"

"Because this is a _family_ holiday, Theo." She reminded him, rolling her eyes and indicating to turn off the road – more of a country lane than anything else – and into the front yard of the farmhouse they had hired for the two weeks of their trip.

Max drew up behind them and they started to disembark. They were just heaving the final suitcases out of the boots of the cars when a battered Land Rover pulled into the yard and came to a shuddering halt. A large, cheerful looking woman slid from the driver's seat and rounded the front of her truck, holding out a hand to shake Jo's and then Hannah's.

"Hello, dears, you must be Jo and Hannah? I'm Gwenda, Gwenda Williams. Croeso i Fferm Rhostir." She boomed in a rich Welsh accent, propelling Jo towards the front door of the house. Chuckling good-naturedly at their confused expressions, she translated. "That means welcome to Moorland Farm to you English folks."

Pulling out a ring of keys she shoved one into the lock and turned it. The door opened with a shuddering scrape and Gwenda began showing them around the house. Shooting a slightly bewildered look at her daughter, Hannah indicated that Ellie and the others should bring the luggage inside while she and Jo followed the woman around on her whistle-stop tour.

"So if there's anything you need, dears, you just let me know. My phone number is on the fridge but if you can't get hold of me, then call the pub; the Red Lion down the road in Llandysullyn."

With a cheerful wave, Gwenda climbed back into her Land Rover and drove away, the sound of the unbelievably noisy car gradually fading into the distance.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: OOOOH, CHAPTER 2!**_

_**Thank you for your comments about the first chapter - hopefully you'll enjoy this one as well!**_

* * *

It had taken an astonishingly long time for everyone to sort themselves out and sleeping arrangements to be settled. The farmhouse was surprisingly spacious and contained three large bedrooms and four smaller ones; one on the first floor, three on the second floor and three in the attic space.

Jo and Hannah had claimed the double bedroom on the first floor, earning a cheeky remark from Theo that it was just as well as they were probably too old to be able to make it up any more stairs every night. The biggest double on the second floor was quickly taken by Max and Rachel, with Ellie taking the one at the back, which was connected to the small box room beside it by an internal door. Dylan was going to be sleeping in there, so that he was close to his Mum. The three small attic bedrooms played host to Theo, Molly and Caitlin and Jen.

When, finally, everyone was settled and unpacked and they'd eaten dinner, Jo tentatively asked for a volunteer to babysit so that she and Hannah – and whoever else was old enough and not looking after the children – could go to the pub. Ellie willingly offered to stay behind, claiming she was too tired to go traipsing around the countryside and would rather stay in with a movie.

Not needing to be told twice, Jo, Hannah, Max, Rach and Jen escaped from the farmhouse and started walking along the winding track that seemed to lead to the village Gwenda had informed them held the pub. It wasn't a long walk, but Hannah complained nonetheless. Jo simply laughed and swung their joined hands between them, before pulling her girlfriend close and pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

"Y Llew Coch." Max read the sign over the pub door, mispronouncing every word and furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Hey, we're in Wales now, kid, gotta learn the lingo." Jo joked, pushing open the door and leading the way inside.

At once everyone in the pub went silent, staring at them. It was incredibly disconcerting and, for a moment, the five of them simply stood in the doorway, unsure what to do. Then a familiar booming voice cut through the silence and the woman who was renting them her farmhouse stepped forward, introducing them as the Londoners who were staying up at Moorland Farm.

When the noise levels returned to their former volume, they were able to relax. While the others found a table, Jo went to the bar to buy drinks. When she returned, she found a pair of old men at the table, apparently trying to chat up her girlfriend. Hannah shot her an amused glance and accepted the wine glass she was holding out, leaning up to peck her on the lips.

"Thanks, babe."

The men rose immediately and left the table, shaking their heads and muttering something that they assumed was in Welsh. Hannah laughed and settled herself more comfortably in the booth, leaning back against the wall and letting her hand rest possessively on Jo's thigh. The older woman draped her arm casually around Hannah's shoulders and took a sip of her wine. Neither played an active part in the conversation the trio of twenty-year-olds were having, listening but not saying much unless they were directly spoken to. They were perfectly content to simply enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and not having a crowd of children demanding attention for once.

x-x

"Oh my god, you're such a slag!"

Hannah sighed, torn from her sleep by the shrill scream that broke the quiet of the morning. She couldn't bring herself to care about who was arguing with who or why and simply rolled over, letting her arm reach over to the other side of the bed. With another sigh and a frown the red-head realised that her girlfriend wasn't there. She cursed Jo for being an early riser because, although it meant she generally took charge of the pre-school and work chaos, she was never there when Hannah wanted to indulge in half-asleep cuddling.

"Fuck _off_!"

"Shut your face!"

"Mum, tell her!"

"Will you all be _quiet_? Your Mum is trying to sleep!"

"Why? It's like… lunchtime!"

"It's half past ten, Cait!"

"I wanna go to the beach. You said there was a beach!"

"Theo, there is a beach. But if you hadn't noticed it's raining."

"It _is_ pissing it down out there."

"Max!"

"What?"

"Language in front of the kids! How many times…"

"Hannah swears all the time!"

"And you didn't tell Jen off for telling me to fuck off."

"Ellie–"

"Well you shouldn't have called me a slag!"

"You _are_ a slag!"

"What's a slag, Mummy?"

"Jen's a slag."

"That is enough!" Jo bellowed and, apart from a few mumblings and the sound of doors closing, the noise level dropped dramatically. A couple of minutes passed and then the bedroom door opened and the brunette appeared, dropping heavily onto the bed and rolling into her girlfriend's waiting arms. She buried her face in Hannah's hair and sighed deeply. "Why did we think a holiday was a good idea, baby?"

"Probably the same reason we thought raising eight kids and a grandson was a good idea." Hannah said with a sigh. Then she smirked. "I did tell you–"

"Don't!" The older woman ordered, rolling on top of Hannah and shutting her up with a lingering kiss. "Don't say I told you so."

"Well _someone_ has to acknowledge when I'm right."

"I acknowledge lots of things you do right…" Jo murmured huskily, her lips finding their way to the sensitive skin below her girlfriend's ear.

Hannah smirked. "I can't deny that you're very vocal in your praise…"

Jo growled against her neck and pushed the younger woman's top up over her head. It was thrown over the brunette's shoulder and landed on the floor somewhere near the wardrobe, but neither of them paid any attention to it. The only thing that did distract them was the sound of the bedroom door being flung open and bouncing off the wall. They jerked apart, dragging the duvet firmly upwards to cover Hannah's exposed chest, before turning exasperated gazes on whoever had burst into the room.

"Jeeze, Mums!" Jen complained, raising a hand to cover her face. "Get a room!"

"You are kidding me?" Hannah demanded, raising a hand and indicating where they were. "Get some manners!"

"What d'you want, Jennifer." Jo asked, her tone and the use of the girl's full name giving away her irritation.

"It's stopped raining and we were going to take the kids to the beach so you two can have a bit of time to yourself. You know, we thought you could do a puzzle or something. Maybe take up a new hobby… knitting?"

Hannah one-handedly threw a pillow at her. "Get out, gobby."

"So… you don't want us to take the kids out?"

"We would love it if you'd take the kids out." Jo assured her. Still fully dressed, she moved across the room and pulled her purse out of her bag, handing the young woman several notes and smiling. "It's all I've got, love. Get chips or something for lunch."

"Thanks, Mum."

Hannah propped herself up on her elbows, making sure she was completely covered by the duvet. "We'll come and meet you at the beach later. If you go somewhere else phone us, yeah?"

"Course." Jen agreed, pushing the money into the back pocket of her jeans. "Sorry for… you know… interrupting."

"We're used to it, honey." Jo reminded her with a grin, sliding back onto the bed. "Are you sure you can cope with all the kids?"

"I think between us me, Els, Max and Rach can handle them." Jen said with a smile. "Catch you later."

"It seems we've got a whole day to ourselves." The brunette pointed out, returning to her position at Hannah's neck. "I've got a few ideas about how we can spend it."

"Care to share them with me, Ms Masters?" Hannah asked, giggling when Jo reclaimed her lips passionately.

x-x

Later that afternoon, Hannah and Jo made their way along the narrow lanes towards the beach, following the signposts until they could see the sea. When they came to a crossroad, they studied the signs carefully. Left pointed to 'Llandysullyn', right pointed to somewhere called 'Pen Y Nant' and back the way they'd come was simply signposted 'Fferm Rhostir'. The signpost also had an arm pointing straight ahead, over a stile. That read 'Traeth' and, although neither of them had any idea what that meant, they could see the beach not far away. They were about to cross the road to climb over the stile – much to the red-head's displeasure – when a car shot past them, almost knocking them over.

"Fucking hell!" Jo ground out, dragging her girlfriend closer to her as they glared after the vehicle which had disappeared from sight around a corner.

Slightly shaken, Hannah squeezed her hand. "Let's just get to the beach before we get injured, alright?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Oooh, chapter 3!**_

_**I've decided that I'll probably update this on Fridays... although the chapter might be late next week because Friday is my birthday, the Christmas Fayre at work AND we're going out for our staff Christmas meal! Crazy!**_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!**_

* * *

"_Local police are asking for anyone who saw a black Land Rover Discovery 4 around Pen Y Nant and Llandysullyn between half past three and four o'clock yesterday afternoon to come forward and help with their enquiries. Sergeant Jones of the Llandysullyn Poli–_"

Jo changed the channel on the television as she entered the kitchen to tackle the washing up left over after dinner. She could hear the complaints coming from the living room and smirked to herself. Before retreating to deal with the pile of crockery and cutlery on the kitchen counters, Jo had suggested – in a tone that left little doubt that it was an order – that they played a game rather than watching television that evening. Then she had ignored the irritated look on her partner's face and escaped to the sanctuary of the kitchen before the arguments started.

Seeing that she had a choice of local news or some quiz show as the soundtrack to her washing up, the brunette sighed and returned it to the news. For a few moments she concentrated on what she was doing, letting the news story about a local agricultural show filter through her mind without taking anything in. Then she realised that her mobile was ringing and hastily dried her hands before fishing the device out of her pocket.

"Hey, Sam."

"You and Han just attract trouble, don't you?"

Jo frowned, wondering what her friend was getting at. "Eh?"

"Do you not have a television where you are?" Sam asked, sounding slightly exasperatedly. "Haven't you seen the news?"

"No, why? Something interesting happened?" The woman returned to the washing up, jamming her mobile between her ear and her shoulder.

"You guys are staying near…" Sam paused, as though she was taking a run-up at the Welsh place name, "Llandysullyn… right?"

"Uh-huh?"

"And you haven't heard?"

"Sam… is this going somewhere or not?" Jo demanded, losing patience.

"There was an armed robbery. The tiny village shop was robbed by three men with shotguns." Sam informed her.

Jo's mouth dropped open. "You aren't serious?"

"Deadly… it's all over the news."

Turning to lean back against the counters, washing up completely forgotten, Jo let out a low whistle. "Talk about using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Bloody hell… this isn't the sort of place you'd expect something like that to happen. I'm not even joking Sam, this place makes Sun Hill look like New York." They both chuckled at that. Then Jo tucked the phone against her shoulder and resumed her task at the sink. "So when are you lot braving the wilds?"

"We're coming up on Thursday. We thought we could have Friday to just chill, go to the wedding on Saturday, recover on Sunday and then go home on Monday."

"So you're gonna miss most of the family drama, then."

Sam chuckled. "Oh yeah, I forgot that Han's family hate you."

Jo sighed, rolling her eyes. "They don't hate me!"

From behind her someone slid an arm around her waist and, with their other hand, plucked the phone from her grasp. Jo turned and found herself pressed firmly between the counter and Hannah's body as the red-head smirked at her and held the mobile to her ear.

"Oi, Samantha Nixon, my grandparents do not hate her." She stated firmly. "They just… don't necessarily like our relationship very much."

"OK, OK, I'm sorry." Sam laughed again and proceeded to fill Hannah in on the news she had relayed to Jo. She couldn't believe that neither of her friends had heard it before she'd told them. Then again, she imagined that they were living in some kind of holiday-bubble. "Anyway, I'd better go. I'll see you Thursday."

When she'd rung off, Hannah pushed the mobile back into the pocket of Jo's jeans and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Armed robbery?"

"Don't worry about it, babe. I'm sure the police are on to them already." Jo assured her, knowing that the frown on her face meant she was in detective mode. "We're on _holiday_; we're _not_ on duty."

"I know, I know!" Hannah smiled. "Come on, we're playing Monopoly and I know how much you love that."

Jo groaned but followed her girlfriend from the room anyway, their fingers interlinked without either of them noticing.

x-x

For the second morning in a row Hannah woke up, in an otherwise empty bed, to the sound of shouting. The shouting was indistinguishable, however, so she merely sighed and dragged herself out of bed, making her way in the direction of the commotion.

As soon as she descended the staircase Hannah realised the cause of the sudden excitement in the house and broke into a broad grin. Her younger sister was standing just inside the door, surrounded by her over-excited family members, attempting to fend off the questions and chatter that was being sent in her direction.

"Frey!" Hannah laughed, opening her arms for a hug. "When did you get here?"

"Our flight got into Cardiff last night and we drove up this morning." Noticing that the red-head was checking the time, she laughed. "We got up early, something you've never been a fan of, Hans."

"Eurgh… it's early and I'm up!" Her sister complained half-heartedly.

"It's almost eleven. You're lucky Mum's an early bird or this house would be a pile of rubble by now." Ellie informed her helpfully, before grabbing her aunt by the hand and pulling her into the living room. "Wanna make tea, Mother dearest?"

Throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation, Hannah wandered into the kitchen, leaving everyone else to follow the two young women through the door to the living room. Jo smirked at her as she entered, indicating that she'd already set the kettle boiling and lined up a row of mugs on the counter.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty." She cooed, making the younger woman roll her eyes at her patronising tone.

"Morning. No tea for me, I'll have–"

"Black coffee, one sugar, the stronger the better?"

"You got it." Hannah agreed with a sigh, sinking down into a chair at the kitchen table while her girlfriend pottered around behind her. When Jo put a mug down on the surface and pressed a kiss to her temple, the red-head smiled. "Any more on that armed robbery?"

"Like I said yesterday, we're not on duty." Jo reminded her, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure the local police are already on the trail."

Hannah arched an eyebrow, highly doubting that the police force in an area like this would have a tenth of the recourses available to them in the Met. "I'm just interested, that's all."

Jo laughed. "Course, babe."

Huffing irritably, Hannah leant back in her seat and took a long gulp of coffee, listening to Jo chuckling as carried the tray of mugs into the living room.

Jo sighed as her girlfriend rolled her eyes, unconvinced at her attempts to reassure her. With a shrug, knowing that there was nothing she could say to change the red-head's mind, the older woman made her way towards the living room. She frowned, spotting something on the doormat inside the front door and changed direction, putting the tray on the dresser and bending to scoop up a small white envelope.

Her frown deepened when she read the three words written in large, block capitals on the front. _Sergeant Joanne Masters_. Shooting a surreptitious glance towards the kitchen, Jo slit the envelope with her nail and pulled out a single sheet of paper.

_I hope you and your family are enjoying your holiday. _

_Been shopping lately?_

"What the…?"

Now, she decided as she headed back to the kitchen, now was the time to get involved in whatever was going on. Pulling the door closed behind her, she hesitated, looking at the note in her hand.

"Baby…"

"Hmm?" Hannah looked up from the magazine she was flicking through quickly, before returning her gaze to the celebrity gossip. "What?"

"This was on the doormat."

Taking it from her, the younger woman let her eyes drift over the words. Then she frowned and read it again, before looking up. "That's… weird."

Jo folded her arms. "It's more than weird."

Pushing her chair away from the table, Hannah leant back and stared at the note with a deeper frown. "So… are we taking it that this note is linked to the robbery?"

"That's a bit of a leap, isn't it?" Jo pointed out, sliding into the chair opposite. "Maybe there are two things going on here that are totally unconnected."

"Likely?" The red-head asked. She had never been a fan of coincidence. Jo just stared back, so the other woman sighed. "They mentioned shopping and it was a village shop that was targeted." When Jo raised an eyebrow and shrugged, Hannah decided to humour her. "OK, then, so it's not connected. So all we have to do is figure out who sent you that note and why."

"It's obviously a threat…"

"Mmm… but to you… to the kids… to all of us?"

"I think it's safer to think it's a threat to all of us." Jo said softly, re-reading the note yet again.

"So." Hannah shifted slightly in her seat. "List of suspects… recent cases, people you've sent down who've just been released… people you've pissed off lately."

"Han, the list is endless."

The red-head rolled her eyes. "You're telling me." Sighing, she shook her head. "So, are we running with the idea that this is a professional thing? I mean… there are no skeletons in your closet are there, babe? No ex-wives I'll have to duel for your honour? No long-lost children tracking you down?" The grin that had twisted her lips fell abruptly as Jo turned an alarming shade of white. "Jo? Honey, what is it?"

"Nothing, Han." Jo told her quickly, getting up from the table and moving to the counter where the kettle was.

"Joanne Masters, what aren't you telling me?" Hannah demanded, instantly knowing something was very wrong. She crossed the kitchen and put her hands on Jo's waist, forcing her to turn. The expression she saw there made her heart clench in her chest. "Jo?"

"I…"

"Please, baby… tell me. Whatever it is, we can…"

"I had a baby… a little boy."


	4. Chapter 4

Hannah felt her legs turning to jelly as Jo's words hit her. "W-What?"

"I was fifteen… I was struggling with who I was." Jo tried to explain, feeling a chill spreading through her whole body as she told her girlfriend her biggest secret. It was impossible to work out what Hannah was thinking because her face was completely devoid of emotion. "One stupid mistake with a boy in my year and I got pregnant. I… I couldn't keep him. I was fifteen and–"

"I was _four_teen, remember." Hannah shot back, anger suddenly sparking in her eyes.

Jo shook her head. "Han… we were completely different. You knew you could raise Ellie without screwing her up; you're a survivor. I was a scared, confused fifteen-year-old who couldn't even admit to herself what was going on in her head. Giving him up… that was the best chance he had."

There was a long silence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hannah asked at last. Jo knew her well enough to hear the hurt behind her hostile tone.

"Babe… it wasn't that I _didn't_ tell you… I just… didn't _tell_ you."

The younger woman's eyes narrowed and she pushed herself away from the counter. "What the actual fuck, Jo?"

"It was almost thirty years ago!" The brunette almost pleaded. "I don't like thinking about it… him. It's… still too painful."

"So, what? You just tried to forget you had a son?"

"Of course not! But I don't… I haven't told anyone about him; my parents are the only ones who know. My sisters were both at University when I had him and when they came home… Susan and Caroline were both oblivious to anything being wrong."

"I'm not _anyone_, Jo." Hannah told her softly, betrayal flashing in her eyes. "You should have told me."

"I'm sorry… it's just… not something I ever thought would come up. He would have been twenty-one when you and I met… if he ever wanted to meet me I thought he would have done by then. I didn't see the point in bringing it up for no reason."

Hannah's eyes blazed again. "You know everything about me, Jo. _Everything_. Even the things that probably wouldn't have come up in conversation, even the worst things I've done… the things that, whatever you say, I _know_ you struggled to deal with… things that could have ruined us and our relationship. I told you everything and you couldn't bloody return the favour?"

"Are you _really_ angry about this?" Jo demanded suddenly, anger sparking in her own eyes. "Or is this a convenient distraction from the fact that your family will be arriving in a couple of days?"

Gaping at her, the younger woman shook her head. "I… I cannot _believe_ you sometimes! You honestly don't understand why I'd be upset that you didn't tell me you have another son? You couldn't have found a moment in the past seven years to tell me about him?"

"I don't have another son, Hannah." The brunette snapped. "I gave birth to a baby and gave him away. He has a mother, but it isn't me. I only have two sons and they are both in this house." She stepped forward, closer to her girlfriend, attempting to lay a hand on her arm. She scowled when Hannah shook her off and turned away. "Hannah, my main concern is protecting our family. Whoever sent this note–"

Hannah whirled around, her eyes flashing. "_He's_ your family too!"

"HE IS NOT!" Jo almost screamed at her. "I don't know him. He is _not_ my family. For all we know _he_ sent this note."

"Don't be ridiculous, Jo. Why–?"

Clenching her fists in agitation, Jo turned away, slamming one hand onto the counter top. "You know the statistics, Hannah. You know that most serious assaults and murders take place on family members. Cases like this–"

"You're being fucking ridiculous, you know that?"

"Excuse me?"

Hannah stormed to the door and yanked it open. Stamping towards the front door, she grabbed her car keys. "I can't… I can't even look at you right now."

"YOU ARE SO SELFISH!" Jo screamed.

"TRY LOOKING IN THE MIRROR SOMETIME!"

"DON'T BOTHER COMING BACK UNTIL YOU TAKE YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ARSE!"

"DON'T WORRY, I WON'T!" Hannah yelled back, slamming the front door behind her.

As the car engine started out on the driveway, Jo let out a furious scream and stormed upstairs, slamming the bedroom door behind her.

As quiet fell over the hall of the farmhouse, the living room door opened slowly and several faces peered out. Seeing that it was deserted, Ellie, Freya, Max and Jen left the living room, shutting the door firmly behind them, so that the others wouldn't hear their conversation.

"Shit… that sounded bad." Ellie muttered, chewing on her thumbnail and looking at the others.

Max nodded slowly. "Almost as bad as…"

"As bad as what?" Jen asked, looking between the three older faces. "What?"

"About a year after they got together, not long after Cait was born, things were rough. Like, _really_ rough. They used to fight all the time, actual screaming fits, then they split up for… ages." Ellie told her worriedly.

"The last time one of them told the other not to bother coming back… Jo didn't." Max replied gloomily.

"They wouldn't…" The youngest of the four asked.

Freya shrugged. "I don't know. I don't want to think so, but… we don't know what's happened, do we?"

"What's the betting they were fighting about Sharon's family?" Ellie asked with a frown, thinking about the Grandmother they had only learnt was alive a couple of years ago. "You know how stressed Mum gets about seeing them. She hates the way they act towards their relationship. And the way they treat Mum doesn't exactly fill her with joy."

"I doubt Mum's particularly thrilled by it either…" Jen muttered. Then she sighed. "Should someone go up and talk to her?"

Ellie smiled weakly. "Unless you want something thrown at your head – and she's got a bloody good aim – I wouldn't risk it just yet. Give her a while to calm down and then we'll send one of the little kids up with tea. Then one of us can go and gage the seriousness of the situation and maybe work out what's happening."

x-x

Hannah rammed the car into gear and almost tore through the narrow country lanes. More than once she had to slam on the breaks to prevent her ploughing into approaching vehicles, earning more than a few angry remarks and indignant glares. The red-headed detective didn't care, however, her fury fuelling her irresponsible driving.

Throwing the car around a final bend, she screeched to a halt at cross-roads. Recognising the place name written on one of the arrows, Hannah turned and started driving along a, thankfully, wider road following the signs towards Aberystwyth. She didn't stop to think about what she was doing until she passed a sign that indicated that she was passing the University. Only then did she glance at the time and realise that she'd been driving for over an hour without noticing.

Letting out a long, deep breath, she followed signs towards a car park and killed the engine. Unbuckling her belt, she leant her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes, wondering how exactly she'd found herself here.

It had been an overreaction, pure and simple. She was still hurt that Jo hadn't told her but she, of all people, should have known that there are some things in your past that you would prefer not to talk about. Not because you wanted to forget them, or because you wanted to pretend that they never happened, but simply because they were just too painful to dwell on.

"Stupid…" Hannah muttered to herself, clenching her fists and squeezing her eyes closed.

Jo _had_ been right, as well. She was dreading seeing her mother's family and hearing more of their opinions on her own family. Her grandparents were the most vocal on their disapproval and it made Hannah angry. They had known her for five minutes and had absolutely no right to judge her. Every time she saw them, Jo was the voice of reason, whispering in her ear and keeping her sane and as calm as possible. Hannah knew that it hurt Jo, the obvious rejection from her partner's family, but she didn't let it show. In some ways that was worse.

Making a decision, Hannah reached onto the passenger seat for her mobile. Then she groaned, realising that she hadn't grabbed it before she left the farmhouse. With a sigh, she scrabbled in the pockets of the car for some loose change and went to buy a car park ticket, before shoving the rest of the change in her pockets and going in search of a phone box. Even if Jo was still furious with her, she knew that the kids would be worrying and she felt guilt settle in her chest as she thought about how, yet again, she was the cause of their upset.

Finally she found a payphone outside a Wetherspoons after being pointed towards the train station by an elderly woman who eyed her suspiciously, as though questioning her motives in asking for directions. Yanking open the door, which was much heavier than she had anticipated and almost caused her to stumble forward, Hannah slipped into the box and raised the receiver. She pushed the coins in her pocket into the slot and jabbed her finger against the stiff buttons, waiting for the call to connect.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ells, it's me." She sighed, relieved that her daughter had decided to answer the call from an unknown number. "Is everything OK?"

"What the hell is going on?"

"It's a long story. It's sort of Jo's story to tell, but I overreacted."

There was a pause. "Wait… _you're_ admitting you're in the wrong?"

Hannah chuckled at her daughter's confusion. "Write it on the calendar, babe. Just… is Jo OK?"

"What d'you think?"

"Did you send one of the kids up with tea?"

"Mmm… Cait went in a while ago. Then Jen went to speak to her. She won't say what's wrong, though, just that you had a fight."

"Yeah?" Hannah chewed the inside of her cheek nervously.

Obviously sensing her mother's fears, Ellie was quick to reassure her. "Mum told Jen that you'd be fine once you had a chance to calm down and talk to each other about whatever happened. We told Jen about when you Mum split up and I think she kinda freaked out a bit. I mean, this is the most stable family she's ever had, right? I think she got scared that you and Mum might split up again and she'd lose it all."

Rubbing a hand wearily over her eyes, Hannah sighed guiltily. "I'm coming back, OK? I'll see you in just over an hour."

"Where are you?" Ellie asked, the question only just occurring to her. "Why aren't you ringing from your mobile?"

"I'm in Aberystwyth and my mobile's in the bedroom." Sensing that her daughter was about to start questioning how and why she had found herself in her current location, Hannah sighed. "Don't ask. Look, I'll be back as soon as I can, OK?"

Just as the younger woman said goodbye, the money ran out and the phone went dead. Hanging up, Hannah made her way slowly back to the car, wondering why she had reacted in such a volatile way and caused so many problems within her family.

* * *

**_A/N: So, here's my apology for not posting this chapter last week... I have been so super busy! And I'm so tired that I'm writing the in be. At just gone eight. I am shattered!_**

**_x_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Sorry this is so late! I've been running around like a headless chicken for the last couple of weeks! **_

_**I hope you enjoy this chapter and have a fantastic Christmas!**_

_**x**_

* * *

"Mum?" Jen poked her head warily around the door of the first floor bedroom and sighed when she saw Jo curled up on the bed, facing away from her. "Mum… can I come in?"

When there was no response, positive or negative, the young woman made her way inside and pulled the door closed behind her. Tentatively she lay on the bed beside her adoptive mother and stared up at the ceiling, her arms lying stiffly by her sides. There was no indication that Jo knew she was there apart from an almost inaudible sniff.

Deciding to just go with it, Jen inhaled sharply. "So, I was talking to the others and they told me that the last time one of you guys told the other not to bother coming back, you didn't. Is that gonna happen again? You and Mum splitting up, I mean? Because… I just wanna be prepared, you know?"

Beside her there was a sharp movement, almost as though Jo had flinched at her words. Jen frowned lightly, watching her prone figure and wondering whether keeping on that line of conversation was a good idea or not. Then, when there was no further movement, she shrugged a little.

"Because… well I've never had a family before. And you and Mum have been great, but I know how this works. If you split up it's gonna be hard enough to work out what happens with your actual kids. I've been there before; more than once. It's just… good to have warning."

"Jen." Jo turned swiftly, facing the young woman and fixing her with a serious gaze. "Whatever happens between me and Hannah will not affect you being a part of this family. You don't get to get rid of us that quickly."

The girl smiled and scooted closer to Jo so that she could wrap her arms around her tightly. "But you and Mum will be OK, right? I mean… you fight all the time and then you make up."

"We don't fight all the time!" Jo defended her relationship quickly, pouting slightly. "And we're so much stronger now than we were back then. We just… both have some stuff to work through on our own and together."

"Is this about Sharon and her parents?"

"Partly."

"And…?"

"Jen…" Jo sighed and shook her head, brushing the hair away from the younger brunette's face. "This is something me and Hannah need to work through on our own. Maybe when we've figured it all out we'll tell you guys, maybe we won't. But right now… I just can't. I'm sorry, love."

Smiling, Jen snuggled nearer to the closest thing she'd had to a mother and inhaled her scent deeply. "It's OK. Just… work it out."

"We'll try." Jo promised her, stroking a hand through her hair gently.

She lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling, with the twenty-year-old she and Hannah had informally adopted four years ago cuddled into her side, not unlike Cait and Molly did given half a chance. Smiling, Jo allowed herself to look down at the girl fondly, thinking how much she'd changed from the underage prostitute she had been when they'd chanced across her during their undercover operation years ago. She'd been stroppy and stubborn and done everything she could to avoid being drawn into the family. Now, it seemed, she was panicking about losing it.

Jo thought back to Hannah's reaction and, now she wasn't completely focusing on the shock of the note or the sudden surge of pain she felt when revealing her secret, she could understand why her girlfriend had been so hurt and angry. If it had been the other way round, Jo would have felt just as betrayed.

Shifting slightly, she disentangled herself from Jen's arms and stood up. "Come on, sweetheart, we'd better go and check there are no casualties downstairs."

The young woman smiled and nodded, following her out of the bedroom and down the stairs. It was surprisingly calm on the lower level of the farmhouse, the sound of the television in the living room and chatting in the kitchen met their ears as they entered the hallway. Jen motioned towards the door on their right and Jo nodded, heading through the door on the left and into the kitchen, catching the end of a conversation.

"Where are you? Why aren't you ringing from your mobile?" Ellie was demanding, almost fiercely. There was a pause and then the young red-head sighed. "Fine, OK, just… drive safe. See you soon."

"That your Mum?" Jo asked casually, moving past her to get to the kettle and flicking the switch.

Ellie nodded slowly, tapping her mobile against her lips and frowning lightly. "She's in Aberystwyth…"

Jo couldn't help a laugh escaping at that information. "Why the bloody hell is she there?"

"I have no idea; she wouldn't say."

"Is she coming back?"

Noticing how hard her step-mother was working to keep her tone light and nonchalant, Ellie smiled. "Yeah, she's on her way now." Then she paused, watching as Jo made tea. "What happened earlier? Is it about Sharon and–?"

"No." The brunette cut her off at once. "No, sweetheart. But… I'm not going to tell you about it. Me and Hannah need to talk things through properly."

"OK." Ellie agreed with a smile. "You gonna come in and watch the film with us? The kids wanted to go to the beach, but it's raining again…"

"Yeah, gimme a…" She trailed off, spotting an envelope on the kitchen table. She instantly recognised the block capitals on the front and snatched it up quickly. "Where did this come from?"

The younger woman shrugged. "I noticed it was on the mat when Mum rang. Seeing as she's not here I just left it on the table for her."

Jo's hand trembled as she stared at the envelope, but tried to school her features into something that was less likely to spook Ellie. "I'll be in in a minute; I'm just going to make some sandwiches seeing as I missed lunch."

"While you were sulking." Ellie said with a laugh.

Rolling her eyes, the brunette smirked and watched as the young woman left the room. As soon as she was alone, Jo ripped the envelope with Hannah's name on the front open and pulled out the folded sheet of paper inside. Her eyes scanned the words quickly, her eyebrows furrowing as she allowed them to sink in.

_Planning on visiting the pub later?_

_I'd recommend the local ale. It's got a bit of a kick._

Jo's mouth went dry as she read the words over and over again. When Theo appeared in the kitchen a while later wondering where she was, the woman pushed the note hastily into the back pocket of her jeans and followed him into the living room to catch the end of the film they were watching.

When the sound of the front door opening and closing broke through the conversation taking place over what film they would watch next, Jo stood up quickly, placing her younger son gently in her sister-in-law's lap and heading out into the hallway. Caitlin made to follow her, but Ellie grasped her firmly around the waist and pulled her onto the sofa with her, whispering that their Mums needed to talk for a while on their own.

Hannah stood awkwardly in the entrance hall and waited for whatever Jo was about to throw at her. Then brunette paused in front of the heavy, wooden living room door and eyed her girlfriend carefully, wondering whether Hannah was about to start shouting at her again. When, after a couple of minutes, neither of them had spoken, the younger woman felt a small smirk twisting the corners of her lips.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly, taking a hesitant step forward. "I… I overreacted and… I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too." Jo sighed, also stepping forward and closing the gap between them further. "I should have told you, I just…"

"I get it." Hannah assured her quickly, invading the brunette's personal space completely now, raising her hand and resting it on Jo's cheek. "I do. I _really_ do. I was just hurt and you were right; I am selfish. I was only thinking about how I felt. But… no more secrets, OK?"

"OK." Jo chuckled softly. "Is this the great Hannah McKay admitting that she was wrong?"

"Don't push it, Masters."

"I'll push whatever I want, McKay." Jo told her with a grin, leaning in and pressing her lips firmly against her girlfriend's. "Why don't we go out for dinner tonight? I'm not in the mood to cook."

Hannah nodded, finally pulling away enough to shrug off her jacket and hang it on the coat stand beside the front door. "That pub… The Red Lion?... does food, right? Wanna go there?"

"No!"

The redhead raised an eyebrow at her girlfriend's immediate, firm response. "Err… OK? Any particular reason?"

"N-No… I just saw an advert for a restaurant about half an hour away that looks really nice. It's not too far to go so I thought we could take a trip."

With a shrug, Hannah glanced at the time as she moved towards the staircase. "Alright, babe, whatever you want. Rally the troops while I go and take a shower, OK?"

Smiling, relief coursing through her veins as her mind flickered back to the note once more, Jo nodded and went to inform their family of the plan.


	6. Chapter 6

The evening passed smoothly, everyone relieved that things seemed to have calmed down between the two women. The pub they'd gone to was an old, black and white building in the countryside with a children's play area to keep the younger members of the family occupied while the older members chatted about the upcoming wedding.

Freya and Alex had joined them, along with Alex's parents and younger sister, Charlotte. Hannah had imagined using the evening to practise for spending time with her Mother's family, but she quickly realised that the Drapers were far more friendly and accepting of their son's fiancée's family than her own family were.

Making their way back to the farmhouse, Jo slowed down as they drove through Llandysullyn. A crowd had gathered outside the Red Lion pub and a police car was parked in the tiny car park, its lights flashing rhythmically. Hannah shot her girlfriend a look, noting at once the expression on her face. Unable to put her finger on exactly what it meant, the red-head focused her attention on the building, immediately spotting the broken windows with her well-trained detective's eye.

"What's happened, Mum?" Theo asked eagerly, craning his neck to get a glimpse of what was happening.

"How should we know, sweetheart." Jo replied quickly, putting her foot down and moving off abruptly.

The move earned her another confused look from her partner, but the older woman gave no indication that she had noticed. Instead she turned the radio on, hoping for a distraction from her thoughts. All she received, however, was the loud crackling that indicated there was no signal and switched it off with a sigh.

"What was all that about at the pub?" Max asked as he climbed out of his own car on the yard in front of the farmhouse minutes later.

"Max… do you think we're psychic?" Jo snapped, arching an eyebrow.

"She's right, babe." Hannah cut in quickly, seeing the frown forming on her brother's face. "How are we supposed to know what happened? We were with you, remember?" He rolled his eyes, but conceded the point. As he started walking towards the house, Hannah stopped him, shifting Fin into his arms with a smile. "Can you get Fin ready for bed, please? Girls, get the little ones into their pyjamas."

"Why can't you do it?" Jen muttered under her breath, realising that she would miss the programme she wanted to watch if she got dragged into reading bedtime stories.

The red-head arched an eyebrow at her. "Because I asked you to do it, Jennifer, so march."

Jen sighed, but grabbed Caitlin and Molly's hands in hers and propelled them inside. When everyone else had entered the farmhouse, Hannah turned to face her girlfriend, frowning lightly. Jo tried to avoid her eyes as the younger woman leant against the bonnet of the car and watched her carefully.

"I thought I said no more secrets, Jo." Hannah reminded her quietly. "What the hell is going on?"

"This came while you were out." She admitted, handing over the note that was still crumpled in her back pocket from when she'd shoved it in earlier.

Hannah took a moment to read the note a couple of times, before looking up. "Reading between the lines… this is a threat, Jo. Someone's sending you threats. Here. Who knows we're here that would want to threaten you?"

"It was addressed to you, Han."

"What?"

"The envelope was addressed to you; Detective Sergeant Hannah McKay."

"What the fuck…?"

"I don't think we should be discussing this out here." Jo murmured, glancing around warily.

With a nod, Hannah reached for her hand, linking their fingers and leading her towards the house. They could hear the typical sounds of bath and bedtime going on upstairs, mixed with the television on in the living room. Biting her thumbnail, Hannah thought hard for a moment, before looking up and meeting her girlfriend's eyes.

"We have to go and speak to the local police. This is bigger than just us; both those notes have alluded to crimes that have taken place here in the last two days."

Jo nodded slowly and picked up the car keys she had only just put down on the dresser. They poked their heads into the living room and told Theo and Rachel, who were watching television, that they were popping out. The boy didn't seemed remotely interested, but Max's girlfriend smiled and enquired where they were going. Exchanging a look, the women said that they had something to deal with, but would be back as soon as they could.

With that, they left. The crowd was still gathered around the pub when they pulled up, the lights on the police car still flashing. Climbing out and making their way to the officer in uniform who appeared to be taking statements, Hannah reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out her warrant card, flashing it at the officer and attracting his attention. Jo frowned at her, wondering why she had her warrant card on her, but said nothing.

"Can I help you ladies?" The policeman asked, looking them up and down slowly. He had a thick Welsh accent, just like everyone else in the area.

Hannah curled her lip in disdain. "DS Hannah McKay, this is Sergeant Jo Masters."

He looked between them curiously for a minute before taking Hannah's warrant card and examining it more closely. Then he raised his eyes back to the women, looking surprised. "You're from the Met? What are you doing in these parts?"

"We're staying at Moorland Farm with our family." Jo informed him, glancing over his shoulder to survey the damage to the building. As far as she could see it was contained to the panes of glass in the windows and door.

"Ohh… are you something to do with the Draper wedding at the church on Saturday? The bride was called McKay… is it you?" He asked, looking at Hannah. Before she could respond he continued talking cheerfully. "Well, congratulations, my dear. It really is a lovely church and Alex is a lovely boy." He peered at her thoughtfully and then chuckled. "Are you the older woman, then?"

Hannah blushed. "No! God no! Alex is marrying my sister, Freya. Jo and I are just here on holiday and to go to the wedding."

"Oh, so you're the…" He looked between them, understanding dawning in his eyes. Then he cleared his throat, not looking at them properly. "So how can I help you, ladies?"

"Officers." Jo corrected immediately out of habit. "Have you got any idea who did this? Do you think it's linked to the robbery at the shop?"

"That's police business."

"We are the police." The brunette replied bluntly.

He frowned and folded his arms. "You may be officers of the Met, but this is my patch. We've got it all under control."

"Really?" Jo arched an eyebrow, looking around in contempt. "Where are SOCO? Has anyone looked for forensics?"

"Someone's coming down from Aberystwyth specially."

"Aberystwyth? Is there no one closer?" Hannah asked in disbelief.

"This isn't London, DS McKay."

Jo glanced at her girlfriend and then shook her head. "This is ridiculous. I'm going to call Jack and see if he can pull a few strings and get us on the case."

The man looked outraged and Hannah pulled the older woman aside quickly, lowering her voice. "On what grounds, Jo? Are you planning on telling him you think this is… what? Aimed at us? You?"

"No, of course not…"

"Then what are you going to do, Jo? This isn't our patch and there's no evidence to suggest that it has anything to do with any of our cases. The Super might be willing to let us get away with more than most would, but I doubt even he will be able to square this one without a legitimate reason."

The brunette met her eyes with a steady gaze. "Then we give him a legitimate reason."

"What are you talking about?" Hannah demanded, slightly wary of what her girlfriend might be planning.

"You'll see." Jo replied simply, pressing the call button on her mobile and holding it to her ear. The red-head shifted nervously as she waited for the Superintendent to answer the call. "Jack? It's Jo. Yeah, so far so good… no, no serious arguments yet." She laughed at something he said and glanced at her girlfriend. "Yeah, she is. Well, I wouldn't go that far; Han still needs constant supervision." The younger woman slapped her lightly on the arm and rolled her eyes at the broad smirk she was rewarded with. "But I actually wanted to ask you something. You've probably seen the news… yeah, yeah. Exactly. Well Han and I are at the village pub and there's been… no, Guv. But I think… I really think this is something that we should look into." She sighed and glanced at Hannah, raising one eyebrow as Jack spoke into her ear. "Yes, Guv, I realise that. But I do think that we have a reason to get involved this time. I was left a note that referenced the first crime and Hannah was left one that hinted towards the second."

"Jo?" Hannah frowned, confused.

Holding up a hand, the brunette continued. "No, I don't think that, Jack. But you have to admit it sounds as though someone wants Hannah and I to look into this. Yeah, yeah, of course. OK. We will. Thanks, Guv."

As soon as she hung up Hannah demanded to know what was going on. The older woman just smiled and informed her that Superintendent Meadows was on the case and they just had to wait to hear back from him.

* * *

_**A/N: Hello! I hope you've had a fantastic Christmas and have a FABULOUS 2014!**_

_**I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know :D**_

_**x**_


	7. Chapter 7

"You're not serious?" Freya demanded angrily, looking between the two older women quickly. "This is my wedding we're talking about."

"It won't affect your wedding, sweetheart, I promise." Jo said firmly. "Hannah and I will make sure of that."

"But you're not on duty; why do you have to work? We're supposed to be on holiday!"

"Don't bother arguing, Jen." Ellie advised with a sigh. "You should know by now that work always comes first."

Hannah frowned, the injustice of her claim hurting more than she expected. "That's not fair, Ellie."

"Really?"

"If you knew–" Her mother started. Then she sighed and shook her head, not wanting to go into details about what was going on until she and Jo had more idea, if at all. "Things are usually more complicated than you think. This is important, but we promise that it won't affect things too much."

"How can that possibly be true?!" Jen demanded, frowning at them. "You're going to be working."

Jo sighed and glanced at her girlfriend, who arched an eyebrow in response. They had received a message from Jack to say that he had spoken to the local police force and the Sergeant was expecting them at the station in the morning. He had given them a thorough lecture over the phone, warning them that he would be expecting regular reports and that although they were being allowed on the case, Sergeant Jones was SIO and, as such, they had to do as they were told. If not, he warned them, he would pull them off the case and that would be the end of it. Both women had reluctantly agreed to the terms, not looking forward to being ordered around by some country police officer if the one they had met earlier was a typical example.

"Look… the sooner we crack this one, the sooner we can get back to the holiday."

"We've been here two days and you've already managed to fall into a case." Ellie sighed, slight fondness for the two women appearing in her expression. "What are you like? You just can't do normal or relaxed, can you?"

Hannah shrugged. "I don't think we can…"

"Just… be careful." Freya ordered. "I do not want you giving me away with a black eye or a broken leg or something."

"What?" Her sister frowned. "I thought Max was giving you away?"

"We talked about it and, after everything, we thought it should be you." Max told her with a grin.

The bride-to-be nodded. "Who cares if it's unconventional? What is remotely normal about this family anyway?"

"Anthony and Sarah won't like it." Hannah pointed out, referring to their mother's parents.

Her sister snorted. "I don't give a shit. It's my wedding, not theirs. And there was something else, too…"

"What?"

"Jo… would you give me away too?"

"Huh?" The brunette, who had been leaning in the doorway watching the conversation with a small smile, straightened up and blinked bemusedly at the young blonde. "Me?"

"Yeah, you." Freya laughed. "After everything you've done for us I want to make it very clear that you're part of this family."

"Your grandparents _really_ won't like that, love." She pointed out. The girl just sent her a look that said she clearly didn't care what they thought. "Well I'd be honoured if Han doesn't mind."

"Why would I mind?" Hannah asked, moving to stand beside her and resting her chin on Jo's shoulder, smiling at her. When the brunette turned her head to look at her, Hannah pressed her lips against her girlfriend's and stole a kiss. "Freya's right. And if anyone says anything–"

"You are _not_ starting a fight at my wedding, Hannah." The blonde warned her seriously.

The older McKay rolled her eyes, but grinned and nodded. "I promise."

"After the wedding on the other hand…"

Jo rolled her eyes, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend's waist and hooking her fingers through her belt-loops to pull her closer. "Don't give her ideas."

x-x

The next morning found the two detectives driving though narrow, winding country lanes in search of the local police station. So far they had seen nothing but hedges and fields, but Jo was adamant that they were going the right way. Hannah had muttered that they probably couldn't rely on the satnav because it wouldn't work in the middle of nowhere, but the older woman just rolled her eyes and carried on as though she hadn't even spoken.

Finally they reached their destination and Jo parked up outside the police station. Both of them just stared at the building in front of them with something akin to total bewilderment. The police station was a tiny stone building, probably built more than two centuries ago. A police car, that looked as though it had definitely seen better days, was parked outside and the words 'Heddlu Police' were engraved into the stone above the wooden door.

"Is this a joke?" Hannah asked, scrunching up her face in distain.

Jo rolled her eyes. "You are such a city girl."

"Yeah, so? I happen to like streetlights and phone signal."

"Come on, princess, let's go and find out what's going on." The older woman said, undoing her seat belt and climbing from the car.

Reluctantly Hannah followed her and they made their way into the police station with their badges ready to prove who they were. The officer from the evening before was behind the counter, talking into the telephone. He glanced at the two women, recognition blossoming over his face, before holding up a hand in their direction.

"… dyna beth dwi wedi dweud." He muttered into the phone, causing the two women to exchange a glance. "Pam maen nhw'n glynu eu trwynau i mewn? Ie, yn llawn eu pwysigrwydd eu hunain yr wyf yn disgwyl." With a sigh, he shot them a look. "Rhaid i mi fynd, maent yn sefyll wrth y cownter. Hwyl."

"Hi, you probably remember us; Sergeant Masters and DS McKay." Jo said as pleasantly as she could, uncomfortable that she had no idea what he had been saying on the phone. Considering the looks he had been sending them, she assumed they were the topic of conversation. "We've come to see Sergeant Jones?"

The officer nodded and picked up the phone again, tapping a few numbers and waiting for it to connect. "Maent yma… Oes, Syr." Hanging up he nodded towards the door beside the counter. "You can go through."

Exchanging a look, the two women did as he indicated and walked through the door. They followed the corridor, guessing that they were heading the right way, until they found themselves outside a door with 'Sergeant Jones' written on the name plate. Jo knocked sharply and a voice immediately bid them entrance.

The Sergeant smiled warmly as they entered and indicated that they take the two seats in front of his desk. The office was a far cry from any at Sun Hill, looking like something out of a drama set in the 1950's. Apart from the desk and three chairs that they were occupying, there was a battered filing cabinet in one corner of the room and a large house plant in the other. On the desk sat a computer than had probably been old in the 90's.

"You must be Joanne Masters and Hannah McKay?" He asked with a wide smile. "Andrew Jones. It's a pleasure to meet you both. I've spoken to Superintendent Meadows and he's under the impression that you are interested in helping us out on this case."

"Yes, Sir." Hannah said with a nod.

"Wonderful. I'm sure you'll offer us a whole new insight that we wouldn't think of otherwise." He enthused warmly.

"I'm not sure all of your colleagues feel the same."

Sergeant Jones smiled. "Don't mind PC Powell… he's worked here for forty-five years and doesn't take well to new things or ideas. His bark is worse than his bite, anyway."

"So…" Jo glanced surreptitiously at the ancient computer. "Where are we so far?"

The man looked slightly embarrassed. "At the moment we've got nothing."

"Nothing?" Hannah asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There were three men with shot guns who actually robbed the shop; all three wore dark clothing, gloves and balaclavas. There was a fourth person, presumably male, in a black Land Rover Discovery who was acting as getaway driver."

"Did we get a plate number?"

Andrew searched through the papers on his desk. "CD63 LNA." When Jo opened her mouth to speak, he shook his head. "We've run it through the databases and apparently it belongs to a Honda Civic in Dorset."

"Ahhh… What about last night's attack on the pub?"

"We believe it was the same vehicle involved and therefore the same perpetrators. But again, no one is able to give us a description and there are no forensics that we can see." He admitted. "So we have nothing."

"Right…" Jo leant back in her chair and bit her lip. "So where do we go from here?"

Sergeant Jones smiled. "That's where you come in."

* * *

_**A/N: A translation would probably be useful, right? ;)**_

"… _**dyna beth dwi wedi dweud."**__– "… that's what I've said."_

"_**Pam maen nhw'n glynu eu trwynau i mewn? Ie, yn llawn eu pwysigrwydd eu hunain yr wyf yn disgwyl.**__**" **__– "Why are they sticking their noses in? Yes, full of their own importance I expect."_

"_**Rhaid i mi fynd; maent yn sefyll wrth y cownter. Hwyl.**__**" **__– "I have to go; they're standing by the counter. Bye."_

"_**Maent yma… Oes, Syr.**__**" **__– "They're here… Yes, Sir."_

**_P.S. LEAH, YES I SAW THOSE EPS OF EASTENDERS! RONNIE/SAM WOMACK IS AMAZING! _**

**_I've just started a new Eastenders fic, too ;)_**


End file.
